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New police toilet scheme is panned

POLICE in Cambridgeshire are being urged not to spend a penny on introducing a device that helps women officers respond to calls of nature.

An inquiry under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that Cambridgeshire police was among the first forces in the country to trial Shewees, a portable urinating device.

The simple device allows women to urinate while standing up and without removing any clothing.

Now Cambridgeshire police have said that despite a trial of the devices, which cost £7.50, revealing there was “not a great need for them” the introduction of the plastic funnels was “still under consideration”.

The Shewee was invented by Samantha Fountain (33) who failed to secure investment when she presented her design on the 2005 series of BBC’s Dragons’ Den.

But she had the last laugh as since then it gained widespread popularity among festival goers, pregnant women and hikers.

The product has since been endorsed by polar explorer Ann Daniels and celebrities like festival favourite Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton.

If Cambridgeshire Police bought a Shewee for each of its 380 women officers, the cost to the public purse would be £3,000.

The device claims that it rids women of the problems of uncomfortable squatting, sitting on unhygienic toilets and embarrassing bare bottoms.

But a Peterborough police community support officer, who asked to be kept anonymous, said she thought the idea was “ridiculous”.

She said: “I can’t imagine any occasion I have been in through work when I would have needed to use one, it just doesn’t happen.

“We are grown-ups and allowed to take comfort breaks, usually back at the station, so surely this is a joke.

“Even officers who are on reactive duty going job to job don’t have a problem. I don’t personally know of any officers who have taken part in the trial as, believe me, it would be a hot topic of conversation.

“I can’t see any use for it as part of the kit unless we have a special surveillance department I have never heard of.”

A spokeswoman for the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Fiona McEvoy said the police were creating a problem that does not exist.

She said: “Many women do jobs that require them to be out and about and they’ve always managed without special equipment.

“Most female officers are resistant to the idea and would prefer to stick to using conventional facilities which indicates that this is one costly idea the police shouldn’t spend their pennies on.”

Cambridgeshire police declined to comment.

Evening Telegraph Peterborough Published on Sat Aug 07